Losing Grip
by SlytherinGrrlz
Summary: Some things are best left in a person's memories, especially when that person is Lord Voldemort. What happens when Voldemort's past actions come back to haunt everyone at Hogwarts? Pleeeeease R&R!
1. A Fine Welcome

**Chapter One   
A Fine Welcome**

  
  
Ariel followed a few paces after Dumbledore as he trooped slowly down the corridor towards the Great Hall. The stones whispered to her of the memories of this school, of students and their hopes and dreams... and fears...   
  
"Miss Soliel?" Dumbledore asked, turning around to stare at the young woman before him.   
  
She blinked her bright, topaz eyes and blushed prettily, "I'm sorry Headmaster. I got a bit lost in my thoughts. This place has so many memories!"   
  
"Yes, I imagine it must be a bit overwhelming," Dumbledore's smile was full of understanding. "If there's anything I can do to make the transition any easier...?"   
  
"No, Headmaster. I shall be quite alright after I've had a moment to... take it all in." She smiled warmly, trailing a hand over the stones. She knew them all so well already...   
  
"As I was saying, the students will be arriving tomorrow. I wish we'd been able to give you a bit more time to get settled, but as things are..." Dumbledore looked distraught.   
  
Ariel stepped forward and placed a hand on the Headmaster's shoulder comfortingly, "I understand perfectly, Headmaster. These are trying times for us all."   
  
Dumbledore nodded gravely. "It will be very nice, I think, to have you on staff."   
  
Ariel blushed once again. "You give me too much credit, I think."   
  
"Still so humble, Ariel? I think there are a few here who might disagree with you."   
  
"Oh?" Ariel looked surprised. What could the Headmaster possibly mean?   
  
"Yes, your old friend Remus insisted on coming to the school to see you again," Dumbledore smiled. "I think it will do him good to see you again, the last few years have been hard on him."   
  
Ariel's eyes clouded... how could she have been so insensitive? Of course Remus would be upset after he had lost his very dear friend... "I hope I can be of some comfort."   
  
"I have no doubt, Ariel," Dumbledore smiled and resumed his trek into the Great Hall. "Everyone else is very much looking forward to meeting you as well. It's not often we have the priveledge to meet a witch of your lineage." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.   
  
"They know, do they?" Ariel frowned lightly, it wasn't something she liked to speak about. There was a stigma associated with being...   
  
"Ariel, I think you will find that none of the faculty are in a position to question your heritage." Dumbledore smiled reassuringly.   
  
"I hope you're right, Headmaster." Ariel smiled faintly before losing herself in the murmurs of the walls...   
  
  
  
"So, she's half-faerie, is she?" Snape snorted, glancing coldly at Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, who sat across from him at the table. Professor Sprout sat on his right, and Professor Sinistra on his left, while Professor Trewlaney sat next to her, and then sat Hagrid. Professor Vector was next to Sprout on the other side, and Hooch next to him, while Madam Pomfrey accompanied the seat next to two empty chairs, presumably for Dumbledore and Ariel. "I wonder if she'll be bringing her pixie dust to teach us to fly." He snorted.   
  
"That's a common misconception, Severus," Hooch began through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.   
  
"I know, you nit. I was being ironic," Snape snarled before returning sulkily to his asparagus.   
  
"I hear faeries can talk ter trees, d'you think tha's true?" Hagrid asked, glancing around the table with half a drumstick hanging from his beard.   
  
"Well, if it is true, she'll have had loads of practice if she ever wants to speak to Severus," McGonagall smiled pleasantly from behind her corn-on-the-cob.   
  
"Minerva!" Sprout chided, shaking her head before Snape glared icily at her. "You know as well as I do that most varieties of trees make for much better conversation than Severus."   
  
"And they're no doubt a good deal more intelligent than the lot of you," Snape muttered, picking up his plate as the female professors giggled pleasantly at his snide little remark. Snape conjured a small table for himself in a far corner of the room and stalked over, glaring venomously at the rest of the staff as he went, so that he didn't notice the young woman in his path, and managed to plough right into her.   
  
"You've ruined my supper!" Snape snapped as the girl picked string beans from her hair, looking somewhat amused. "Watch where you're going, why don't you!" Snape added and snatched up the string beans she was holding out to him before storming off to his table.   
  
"He's a charming fellow," Ariel mused, watching Snape plop himself sulkily down into his table for one.   
  
"That's Severus," Dumebledore said, "you'll get used to him."   
  
"Indeed? I should hope not," Ariel said somewhat distastefully as she scooped a handful of mashed potatoes out of one of her pockets, "I'm not sure my wardrobe can afford it."   
  
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement as he led her over to the single table set up in the middle of the Great Hall. The assembled professors slowly quieted down as they looked up expectantly at the petite woman before them. "Everyone, this is Miss Ariel Celandine Soliel, she's going to be taking over the Defense Against the Dark Arts post this coming year. I trust we'll all make her feel welcome."   
  
"Yes, do come sit down dear," Professor Sprout smiled cheerfully, motioning to one of the empty chairs.   
  
"Thank you very much, er..." She looked helplessly to Sprout.   
  
"Ceres Sprout," Sprout said as Ariel took her seat. "I love your hair, dear, how do you get it so positively green?"   
  
"That's a string-bean, actually," Ariel said with embarrassment, picking it out of her hair and casting a glance back at Snape, who was still sulking by himself. "A gift from Professor Snape."   
  
"Warming up to you already, is he?" McGonagall asked, sounding amused as she slid the sweet potatoes over towards her.   
  
"Oh yes, I daresay we shall be the best of friends in no time at all," Ariel allowed herself a grin as she helped herself to the sweet potatoes.   
  
  
  
"I suppose you think you're quite clever?" Snape hissed as he caught up with Ariel when she exited the Great Hall after dinner.   
  
"Yes, relieving you those string-beans was my master plot all along. I'm very nearly a diabolical genius." She glanced sideways at him as she spoke, her tone and expression uninterested.   
  
"Very amusing. I'm sure the foliage finds you terribly witty." Snape drawled, shooting her a nasty look.   
  
"I hope so. I would be most upset to learn that you're the best company in this place." Ariel smirked lightly, turning off towards the teachers' dormitories.   
  
"Look Soliel, you obviously don't know how things work around here, so I'll fill you in," he sneered, stopping in his tracks to glare at her.   
  
"This should be entertaining," she smiled pleasantly, which only served to enrage Snape further. A vein throbbed in his forehead.   
  
"Well... er... since you seem to think yourself such a tremendous wit, I suppose I'll just leave you to yourself," Snape snorted, turning quickly back around, "if you have any problems, I trust you'll know not to burden me with them." With that he stormed off down the hallway to his room, leaving Ariel much amused in his wake.   
  
"If that isn't a fine welcome, I'm not sure what is." Ariel smiled vaguely to herself as the walls snickered... 


	2. Not My Father

Chapter Two  
  
Not My Father  
  
Laetitia Rose shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of the faculty and the entire student body. Why did she have to come here anyway? She had been perfectly happy at home with her father... up until now. Now she was standing in front of the whole of Hogwarts with a ratty hat on her head looking a complete git.  
  
'This shouldn't be too difficult at all,' the hat mused in her ear and Laetitia Rose turned red.  
  
"Actually..." she began and bit her lip.  
  
'Gryffindor? Really? I'm not sure...' the hat said after a moment's hesitation.  
  
"I... I need to prove to myself... that I can..." She didn't know how to finish.  
  
'Better be... GRYFFINDOR!' the hat announced, and the table trimmed in red and gold cheered madly... with one very notable exception.  
  
"Harry! Honestly, show a little solidarity!" Hermione chided, giving the young Gryffindor an exasperrated look.  
  
"Hermione... you heard her name as well as I did. 'Laetitia Rose Riddle'? RIDDLE, Hermione?" Harry asked, not quite believing that Hermione hadn't picked up on the coincidence.  
  
"Does You-Know-Who seem like a family man to you, Harry?" Hermione asked sceptically. "Besides, I think we can give Dumbeldore a little more credit than that."  
  
"I don't know, Hermione," Ron piped up, "he is a bit mad."  
  
"He's also a bit brilliant," Hermione said matter-of-factly and ended the conversation just in time. Laetitia Rose had found her way to the table and had taken a seat next to Harry.  
  
She smiled shyly at them and opened her mouth to speak before realizing she wasn't quite sure what she meant to say. "Er..."  
  
"Hullo," Hermione said warmly, nudging Harry in the ribs.  
  
"Oh, hi," Harry said, blushing faintly at the annoyed look Hermione shot him.  
  
"I'm... er, Laetitia Rose, it's... nice to meet you." She tried a smile that came out more a grimace. She felt a bit strange exchanging pleasantries with Harry Potter given...  
  
"I'm Hermione, and this is Harry, and the polite one over there is Ron," Hermione introduced them all and glared at Ron. "We were just talking about you, Laetitia Rose is such a beautiful name." Hermione smiled understandingly at the girl's poor attempts at a conversation.  
  
"I've always thought it was a bit pretentious." This time her smile was only half-grimace. "That's my mother for you, though."  
  
"Oh, and what about your father? I don't suppose he's anyone we'd have heard of?" Ron asked and received a nasty poke from Hermione's wand.  
  
"It's alright," Laetitia said slowly, smiling faintly at Hermione in thanks. "Might as well get it out of the way now, since you seem to know... Tom Marvolo Riddle is... he's my father." Her voice was barely above a whisper when she finished.  
  
Hermione sucked in a breath and tried to think of something to say. Harry just stared at her, not quite believing what he had just heard... she couldn't be related to his mortal enemy... she just couldn't...  
  
"See Hermione, I told you so," Ron said, eying Laetitia Rose suspiciously.  
  
"I'm... I'm sorry, I'll go find somewhere else to sit." Laetitia Rose mumbled unhappily, getting up to go when Hermione grabbed her arm.  
  
"Oh, don't let Ron scare you off. He can't help being a git." She shot him a look. "I'm sorry... you just have to realize, it's a bit of a shock. But... if Dumbledore's let you come to school, he must trust you." Hermione didn't sound quite sure.  
  
"I know you've got no reason to believe me, but I'm not my father," Laetitia Rose said, frowning deeply. "I don't expect you to just give me your trust... but I hope you'll let me earn it." She glanced at Harry, wondering what must be going through his mind. When he saw her looking at him, his eyes feel back to the table, and she sighed... why had she expected any differently? She cast her eyes towards the Slytherin table, towards Draco, seeing a friendly face would do her wonders right about now, but all he had to offer her was a cold glare. She sighed again and turned her attention towards Headmaster Dumbledore, who was making his announcements... this was going to be a very long year...  
  
"I would like you all to welcome Professor Soliel, who will be taking the Defense Against the Dark Arts post. I trust she will last a little longer than the last six." Dumbledore looked thoroughly amused with himself, while Snape just looked as though a very nice idea had suddenly occurred to him. "And with that, I think the feast shall begin!" He clapped his hands and a sumptuous feast appeared on all the tables.  
  
"I do believe I could get used to this," Ariel looked quite pleased as she scooped herself some mashed potatoes.  
  
"I suppose this beats the nuts and berries you're accustomed to?" Snape smiled an oily smile as he snatched up a plate of chicken.  
  
"Oh yes, Severus," Ariel smiled pleasantly, "I'm impressed you've been able to make the transition from live mice yourself."  
  
"I keep forgetting myself. Some of your best friends must be small rodents," Snape smirked, setting the chicken back down and snatching up a plate of carrots.  
  
"You musn't be jealous, Severus. I'm sure you'll make friends," she gave him a sympathetic look, "someday."  
  
"Spare me your pity." Snape snorted, shooting her a nasty look. "I keep company only with people worthy of my time. Regrettably, I'm the only one who meets these standards."  
  
"Someday you'll have to begin including mammals in your criteria. Then perhaps you'll deign to speak with the rest of us." A snort punctuated this comment before Ariel could stop herself.  
  
"I've no patience for your idle chatter," Snape spat, giving her an overly annoyed look. "If it's not beyond your limited capacities, pass me those string-beans, will you?"  
  
"I'll give it my best," Ariel told him pleasantly, before promptly overturning the plate on his head. "Now we're even." She spat back at him before standing up and storming out of the Great Hall.  
  
Snape watched her go, looking quite festive with the green beans in his hair and a vividly red face...  
  
"Is that common practice here?" Laetitia Rose asked as she fell in alongside Draco as the students made their way towards their common rooms. Laetitia would find hers later, she had to speak to Draco just now. "If it is, I think I should fit in just fine." She grinned a little at him.  
  
"So that's how it is?" Draco asked, giving her a cold look.  
  
"Draco?" Laetitia asked unsurely... Draco had never looked at her like that before...  
  
"Rather associate with Potter and his adoring fans, would you? I would think that you, at the very least, would know better." Draco sneered, turning away from her.  
  
"Draco... what are you...?" She wished she knew what she wanted to say to him.  
  
"Slytherin not good enough for you? Well, that's fine. You've made your choice. Saint Potter must miss your company by now, why not scamper back to his side like a good lapdog?" Draco snarled, his eyes burning, though he refused to look at her now.  
  
Laetitia Rose just stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly, "alright Draco. If that's what you want... I'm sorry, Draco, I thought you would understand." She turned away but didn't fall back in line with the Gryffindors. She paused a moment and then glanced at Draco again. "I won't become my father." She told him quietly, and then made her way back to Harry and Hermione, leaving a pained Draco in her wake. 


	3. Reunions and Revelations

Chapter Three  
  
Reunions and Revelations  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be in the Great Hall?" a familiar voice asked as Ariel stormed down the hallway.  
  
Ariel stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to find Remus Lupin standing at the other end of the hallway, looking much worse for the wear than the last time she had seen him. "Remus!" She called and jogged down the hallway to embrace her old friend.  
  
"Ariel, you look well," Remus smiled and Ariel couldn't help but notice the crow's feet digging deeper into the corners of his eyes.  
  
"You look positively dreadful," Ariel told him quite honestly, ruffling his hair affectionately.  
  
"I could always count on you for an honest opinion," Remus smiled tiredly and nodded a bit. "I've been... better."  
  
"You're such an awful liar, Remus," Ariel sighed a little and looped her arm through his as they began down the hallway.  
  
"I still miss him," Remus sighed, his voice breaking. He closed his eyes and tried to compose himself. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Remus, don't be sorry. Feel whatever you feel." Ariel frowned and gave Remus another hug, wishing there were more she could do. "I wish I could have met him."  
  
"He would have liked you," Remus smiled suddenly, looking down at her, "Sirius was always very straightforward as well."  
  
"I suspect that's a very polite way of saying that neither of us have any tact," she grinned at him and he laughed appreciatively.  
  
"I have to be polite with friends like you," he grinned faintly at her, "one of us has to be able to get us out of all the messes you get us into."  
  
"I've no idea what you're talking about," Ariel said, feigning innocence, when at the worst possible moment, Snape appeared to make a nuisance of himself.  
  
"That was entirely unprofessional," he said, picking string-beans out of his hair. He paused as he looked between Lupin and Ariel and snorted. "You two know each other? How typical."  
  
"Yes, you never get yourself into any trouble," Remus continued to grin, completely ignoring Snape, which did not sit especially well with the Potion's Master.  
  
"I'd ask you to teach her a few manners, but a few years in your company never did anything for Black, so why should she be any different?" Snape asked, and a moment later found himself laid out on the floor with a very sore jaw.  
  
"Ariel!" Remus exclaimed as the petite professor rubbed her now rather sore knuckles.  
  
"I should have known you'd have a thick head," Ariel spat, ignoring Remus as she glared visciously at Snape.  
  
"Found yourself a new bodyguard, have you Remus?" Snape asked as he picked himself up, rubbing his jaw. "You'll be pleased to hear she's got a much better right hook than your late bodyguard." Snape smirked and would have found himself on the floor again if it hadn't been for Remus holding Ariel back.  
  
"Don't you know when to bloody-well quit?!" Ariel demanded, livid with anger.  
  
"Ariel, leave it be," Remus said quietly, not daring to look at Snape himself.  
  
Snape snorted. "You really are quite pathetic, Remus." With that he turned and stalked off, still rubbing at his jaw.  
  
"That bastard! He's got no right!" Ariel yelled, still struggling in Remus's arms.  
  
"Really Ariel, I feel more sorry for him than anything else." Lupin sighed faintly.  
  
Ariel sighed and closed her eyes, composing herself, before looking up at Remus with a soft smile. "You're too soft, Remus. One of these days I'm going to get you to lay him out like he deserves."  
  
"I'm sure you will," Lupin mused and started back down the hallway with her. "Now we have a lot of catching up to do..."  
  
The Gryffindor common room was all but empty a few hours later, the only people still awake were Harry and Laetitia Rose, both sitting in front of the fire, both wondering what the other was thinking. Harry glanced over at Laetitia, his eyes trailing over her long, raven black hair, her dusky violet eyes, her small pursed mouth, the soft curve of her throat... Harry closed his eyes. He was not thinking what he was thinking. She was the daughter of his worst enemy... she was everything he hated, wasn't she? But it didn't mean she couldn't also be... beautiful...  
  
"Harry..." Harry opened his eyes and looked at her, watching the reflected firelight dance in her eyes. "I... I need to explain it... to you." She paused. No need to ask what 'it' was. He nodded noncommitally, it was all he could think to do. "I feel like I owe you an explanation." He nodded again, encouragingly this time. "I don't know the whole story... I mean... about my mother and father. My mother died when I was very young, I know it must be hard to picture, but it hurt my father very much. He has so much... so much pain in him." She frowned deeply, and looked up at Harry, whose face was twisted with rage. "I'm not saying what he's done is right. But... but whatever he's become... there's still something in him... some spark of humanity... that part is my father." She paused again, trying to remind herself to breathe... but she had to finish this now that she had started. She had to explain it to Harry. "But what he's done... the horrible things he's done... I can't forgive him that. I l  
  
ove him because he's my father, but I hate the monster that's slowly destroying my father from the inside. I've come to Hogwarts to prove... to prove that I'm NOT my father. That I can be something more... something more than a MURDERER." She looked up... she didn't remember standing up, but there she was, in front of the fire, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. "I... I'm sorry Harry... I just... I needed to tell you this. I needed you to know..." She didn't say anything more, she just turned towards the girl's dormitories and started off.  
  
Harry stared into the fire, wanting to say something, but afraid what it would mean if he did. What... what did she want from him? He frowned deeply then, what did she mean, telling him all this? What was he supposed to do about it? She was still Lord Voldemort's daughter. She was still a Riddle. And she always would be.  
  
"Oh bloody hell," Ariel muttered as Snape walked towards the breakfast table the next morning sporting a rather large black and blue bruise on his jaw.   
  
Snape sat down at the table and stared disdainfully at the food as he poured himself a glass of juice.  
  
"Can't you do something about that?" Ariel asked, sounding rather unimpressed. "I'm sure Madam Pomfrey could fix that up in only a moment."  
  
"I'm afraid I've been gravely injured," Snape sniffed, staring pitiously into his juice. "I'm in quite a lot pain."  
  
"Really," Ariel snorted.  
  
"I don't believe I can bring myself to eat, it really is excrutiating." He said pitifully, smirking nastilly when he finally looked at her.  
  
"Oh, it would be such a pity if you starved to death," Ariel said without much conviction.  
  
"You're lucky I don't report this to the Headmaster," Snape told her with a nasty look.  
  
"You haven't already?" Ariel looked somewhat surprised. "I was under the impression you were milking this for all it was worth. I heard you moaning and complaining all the way down the corridor."  
  
"I have been known to find myself in a charitable mood every now and again," Snape told her with a slight smirk.  
  
"When the earth tilts off it's axis and birds fall from the sky?" Ariel asked politely. She frowned a little when Snape glared at her. "I'm sorry, Severus. I quite appreciate living on your charity. It must be a rare honor indeed."  
  
"I hope sometime during the course of the next year you learn the remarkably useful skill of holding one's tongue." Snape snarled, standing up, apparently having lost his appetite.  
  
"Perhaps you would be so kind as to hold it for me?" She asked cheekily, watching with some amusement as Snape's cool facade dropped for a moment and he looked positively flustered.  
  
He regained his composure quickly enough, however, and sneered darkly at her, "I make it a habit not to touch vile things. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some leeches to filet." He turned and stormed out of the Great Hall, already plotting how to get back at Ariel for knowing exactly how to fluster him. 


	4. No More Apologies

Chapter Four  
  
No More Apologies  
  
Ariel looked out nervously at her first Defense Against the Dark Arts class and shuffled her papers. Seventh year Slytherins and Gryffindors her first class... if she didn't know any better, she would have guessed Snape had scheduled that.  
  
"I'm Ariel Soliel, Ariel will do just fine though," she said, trying not to speak too quickly, "before it becomes an issue, yes, my father was a wizard, but my mother was a faerie. I lived in Tir Na Nog until I was eleven, when I shipped off to school just like the rest of you." She smiled softly at the looks of wonder on the students' faces. "I--yes?" She was about to continue when a hand sprung up from amidst the students.  
  
"Do you have wings?" One of the Slytherin girls snickered, the question was accompanied by a chorus of giggles from her friends.  
  
"I do, but it'll cost you a sickle to see them," she smirked faintly at the Slytherin girls, whose laughter immediately died away.  
  
"What's it like in Tir Na Nog?" One of the Gryffindors asked, eyes wide with awe.  
  
"Perhaps I can convince Headmaster Dumbledore to allow me to take you all on a field trip there." Ariel smiled pleasantly at the enthusiastic murmurs this elicited.  
  
"Yes, frolicking under toadstools, what fun," Snape snorted as he appeared in the doorway. "I might have known that the concept of teaching the children something useful would be far beyond your grasp."  
  
"Why don't you come up to the front, Severus, and I can teach the children how to defend themselves against overbearing nitwits, with only a passable right hook?" She quirked an amused brow at him as his eyes narrowed dangerously. She was sure he wished he hadn't been complaining quite so audibly about his bruise now.  
  
"I would be careful, if I were you, professor," Snape hissed icily, "you are on very thin ice now."  
  
"I shall take that under advisement, Severus. Now if you don't mind, I do have a class to teach." She smiled pleasantly and turned towards the chalkboard, feeling infintely better about teaching that day's classes...  
  
"Draco... Draco, please don't be like this," Laetitia Rose whispered as the students slowly filed out of Professor Soliel's first class. "Please Draco, I really need--"  
  
"What exactly do you really need, Laetitia?" He snapped, turning to look at her angerly.  
  
"Draco, why are you being like this?" Laetitia asked, a hurt look in her eyes.  
  
"I wonder if your father knows you're a Gryffindor." Draco mused coldly, packing his books into his bag. "I don't think he'll take it as well as I have."  
  
"Draco, I don't want this to come between us," Laetitia pleaded, staring at him imploringly.  
  
"Perhaps you should have thought about that before betraying your true friends." He glared at her before pushing past her, but found Harry in his path before he could get to the door. "You seem to have gotten yourself lost again, Potter. You're in my path, remove yourself." Draco sneered at the Gryffindor, his voice tense with hatred.  
  
"I see your manners haven't improved any over the summer," Harry snorted, pushing Draco back a few steps.  
  
"Resorting to physical violence, Potter? Your kind really is pathetic," Draco spat, pushing Harry back a few steps.  
  
"Oh, my kind, Malfoy? What KIND would that be?" Harry demanded, glaring hatefully at the bleach-blonde boy before him.  
  
"Charity cases with martyr complexes," Draco sneered and was on the ground a moment later with a bloody nose, courtesy of Mr Potter.  
  
"That will be quite enough," Ariel sounded somewhat less than impressed with the two boys as she made her way over to them, pulling her wand from her robes. "Get to your next class, boys. You've both got more sense then to beat each other black and blue, I should hope." She gave them a pointed look and ushered them out of the class, leaving Laetitia Rose staring helplessly after them.  
  
"I'm sorry Professor Soliel, that was all my fault," Laetitia said when Ariel returned.  
  
"Oh, Miss Riddle," Ariel sighed a little and put a hand on her shoulder, "you can't blame yourself for every stupid thing boys get into. You'll spend entirely too much time feeling sorry for yourself." She smiled a little sadly.  
  
"I'm sorry... I just..." Laetitia looked helplessly at Ariel, once again at a loss for words, but this time she couldn't keep the tears from coming. Ariel immediately enfolded the girl in a warm hug as she sobbed quietly into the professor's shoulder. "I don't know what to do, professor..."  
  
"I know, dear, I know," Ariel said softly, patting the girl's back comfortingly. "Give yourself time to understand exactly what it is you want to say to them."  
  
Laetitia tried to control her crying, if her father could see her now... She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, professor."  
  
"Please don't be sorry, Miss Riddle," Ariel sighed faintly, taking the girl by the shoulders to look her in the eye. "Laetitia... you don't have to apologize for your father anymore. Don't apologize for where you come from, just make sure you don't follow the same path, alright?"  
  
Laetitia stared at Professor Soliel, at the sincereity in her eyes... maybe... maybe she really believed her... "I... I don't think I'm strong enough."  
  
"Then I'll be strong for you, until you find your own strength." Ariel tried to blink back her own tears as she nodded to the girl.  
  
"Thank you Professor Soliel... thank you..." 


End file.
